Pontiac Grand Am Reliability
8,104 NHTSA complaints (1983–2005). Complaint rate: 24782.9 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 1999–2002 Pontiac Grand Am (230 crash-related complaints). The 2005 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Pontiac Grand Am Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 669 | 4.0% |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 347 | 13.5% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 341 | 0.3% |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 256 | 65.2% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 212 | 2.4% |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 196 | 1.0% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 193 | 1.6% |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 186 | 4.3% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 179 | 2.2% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 174 | 1.7% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985GOOD | — | 8 | 1 | 1 | View 1985View→ |
| 1986GOOD | — | 13 | 1 | 1 | View 1986View→ |
| 1987GOOD | — | 47 | 7 | 2 | View 1987View→ |
| 1988GOOD | — | 34 | 4 | 2 | View 1988View→ |
| 1989GOOD | — | 88 | 4 | 4 | View 1989View→ |
| 1990GOOD | — | 61 | 3 | 4 | View 1990View→ |
| 1991GOOD | — | 102 | 11 | 6 | View 1991View→ |
| 1992 | — | 304 | 15 | 4 | View 1992View→ |
| 1993 | — | 290 | 11 | 20 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994AVOID | — | 515 | 71 | 30 | View 1994View→ |
| 1995AVOID | — | 587 | 78 | 47 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996AVOID | — | 672 | 45 | 18 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997AVOID | — | 600 | 43 | 14 | View 1997View→ |
| 1998 | — | 236 | 16 | 5 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999AVOID | — | 1,318 | 99 | 15 | View 1999View→ |
| 2000AVOID | — | 939 | 68 | 19 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 759 | 30 | 6 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002AVOID | — | 549 | 33 | 3 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003 | — | 436 | 40 | 8 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004 | — | 402 | 34 | 10 | View 2004View→ |
| 2005GOOD | — | 143 | 21 | 3 | View 2005View→ |
See also: Pontiac Grand Amaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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